I've never been a big fan of laws, ordinances, codes, rules, etc. At least if your an adult. I figure you made it this far, you should know the rules, know how to play well with others, etc. And if you don't, or if you CHOOSE to disregard the rules, your stupidity SHOULD be painful, and expensive.
Quick Quiz Time: How many of you know that Alabama has a STATEWIDE Dog Leash Law? Well, we do. And without dragging out the lawyer soapbox (no, I'm not a lawyer), there are a few exceptions to this law like... "except as provided by local ordinance" (such as at a off leash dog park, and there's ONLY ONE of those in Jefferson County), OTHERWISE, unless your dog is on your own property, AND secured behind a chain link fence, then it HAS TO BE ON LEASH AT ALL TIMES! Period! Plain and simple. If you don't believe me, look it up yourself, Alabama Code of 1975. There are even stupid little cities like Irondale and Homeywood that take the leash law to the extreme and apply their own local municipal code to include all "pets" so that your turtle, unless behind a chain link fence, would also have to be on a leash if outside.
Like I said, never have been a big fan of rules, but I know why they're there. And I usually try my best to obey them, play well with others and not kick sand in anyone's face. It's what we do to live in a society so that others may enjoy their rights too without infringement. Well... most of us. As most of you know, up until last week with the death of my doggy buddy Garcia, I walked two dogs every day around the Highland Ave./Caldwell Park area. Elliot and I are all that's left of Team TurboDog, but we're auditioning for a new team member as I type. Elliot is a Jack Russell Terrier/PitBull mix. To say you have a lot of punch packed into a very small package would be an understatement. Elliot is very aggressive towards any other dog he sees, near or far, as we walk. I usually avoid any potential problems by either stopping and letting the other dog pass afar, or we turn and go another route. And all that works great IF the other dog owner is obeying the law and has their dog on a leash too, but many do not. And that's just where the problem starts!
There are three public parks on Highland Ave. and all three are within easy walking distance for Team TurboDog. I have had two "off leash" attacks occur at Caldwell Park and one at Rhodes Park while legally walking "my" dogs. And I say "my" dogs even though they do not actually belong to me because their owners have entrusted their dogs safety and well being to me. They are always on leash, I always carry "doggy bags" and yes. I pick up and properly dispose of any solid waste. I even check their vaccination tags to make sure they are up to date and LEGAL to be out in public. I consider this to be the MINIMUM any dog owner who takes their dog out in public should do. Not to mention it is also the MINIMUM actions REQUIRED by Law. Yes, BHM has a "Doggy-Doo" pickup law.
A dog off leash is simply an accident waiting to happen. If you think for a minute that you can verbally stop your dog when he gets the urge to chase something down and chew on it, well, you're just plain stupid. It's a dog for Christsake. All it wants to do is eat, sleep and hump something, not necessarily in that order. All three times we have been attacked, it was with the owner running along behind their dog screaming "stop", "heel" and "whoa nelly" all the while. Do you think the dog really gave a shit? Of course not. Something tripped the dog's trigger and it was game on. Luckily there were no injuries all three times, but it was because I had snatched my dog(s) up into my arms before they could fight. And please understand that if you let your cute little Muffy run loose in a public park and he/she charges my dog and Muffy looses an ear, or an eye because you were too stupid to obey the law, don't look towards me for sympathy, or anything else.
And it's not just me and my dogs that are put out and kept from enjoying a public area because people won't obey the law, I can't even take my Grandkids to the parks for the same reason. So... It looks like I am going to have to see just what it takes and whom I'm going to have to force to do their damn job to get the leash laws enforced so I can walk with my dogs and Grandkids in the parks without fear of being attacked. They should already be enforced without someone having to cause a stink and make someone do their job. The cops just ride right by and do absolutely nothing when they see people violating the animal laws, so we'll see what it takes to get a little enforcement. Should be a fun experience for all, eh?
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